Misty Copeland on Reinventing Ballet and Herself
Kamau opens the episode recalling Misty Copeland’s surprise appearance at the Oscars shortly after her hip replacement, marveling at her return to elite performance so soon after surgery and the…
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A Helmet Lined with Letters: Joseph Rodriguez’s Love Story
In 1951, Joseph Rodriguez and his unit were on a ridge in Korea, pinned down by gunfire. There was seemingly no way out. But Rodriguez had something to steady him.…
A Realist’s Guide to Optimism
Deepika Chopra, a clinical psychologist, has a problem with the way optimism is often defined. Real optimism, she says, shouldn’t be about always expecting the best, because sometimes the bad…
The Beckhams: From World Cup Villain to Billionaire Power Couple
David and Victoria Beckham weren’t always the untouchable power couple we know today. In 1998, David was public enemy number one after a red card cost England the World Cup.…
What We Still Get Wrong About Happiness (Live at Dartmouth)
In this special live episode, Dr. Laurie takes the stage at Dartmouth College for a conversation with happiness historian Darrin McMahon. Together, they break down some of the biggest misconceptions…
LIVE: We Are Not Machines – with Sarah O’Connor
When the Luddites smashed factory frames in a bid to defend their craft and livelihoods, the machines came out on top. Today, AI and automation threaten to wipe out skilled…
Andy Baraghani on Yearning for Flavor Across Borders
Andy Baraghani is the internet’s favorite second-generation Iranian American cook, Bon Appétit alum, and James Beard Award-winning author. He joins the show to discuss how his multicultural upbringing and global…
Racing Wildfires to Warn the Public
John Mills is the CEO and co-founder of a nonprofit called Watch Duty. His problem is this: How do you build an app to warn people when they are in…
2026 Update: James
James’s father’s dying wish was for his ashes to be spread on the 18th hole of a fancy private golf course. That was 16 years ago. In this episode, James,…
Robert Reich on The Fight for a Fair America
W. Kamau Bell talks with economist, author, and former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich about his lifelong fight against inequality, his journey through four presidential administrations, the capture of American…
The Nobel Winners Who Almost Crashed the Economy
John Meriwether assembled the smartest team on Wall Street. In the 1980s, he combed Harvard and MIT for geniuses to join him at Salomon Brothers and make the investment bank…
Sneaking into the Corps: Richard Pittman, The One-Eyed Marine
Richard Pittman was legally blind in his right eye—a condition that should have kept him away from the front lines of the Vietnam War. But Pittman wasn’t a man who…
